Pre and Post Conference Sessions

Community Foundations of Canada is offering a range of pre and post conference sessions to help participants make the most of this extraordinary professional development experience.

More sessions will be added over time. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or via our blog for the latest updates.


Monday, May 9 – Wednesday, May 11

Canadian Environmental Grantmakers’ Network National Conference

CEGN is offering member rates to CFC Members who arrive in Vancouver early to attend Building Bridges, Getting Results from May 9 - 11. David Suzuki headlines the list of keynote speakers and the conference covers issues ranging from Canada’s Far North, to urban sustainability, and meshing science and policy.

Earlybird registration for the CEGN ends March 15. To register, or learn more, click here.


Wednesday, May 11 (2 pm – 5pm)

CF-LINKS Workshops

CF-LINKS is CFC's professional development program specifically developed to meet community foundation needs.

CFC is offering four half-day CF-LINKS workshops at CFC 2011 Conference - A World of Opportunity. . Theworkshops cost $50 and take place Wednesday, May 11 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel, Vancouver. To register contact Amy Thompson athompson@cfc-fcc.ca.


1. Grantmaking that Makes a Difference

Barbara McMillanThis workshop will showcase the latest tools and information on grantmaking from across the country and beyond. It will focus on fundamental practices and policies of effective grantmaking programs. Exploring emerging trends and opportunities this workshop will help community foundations focus their grantmaking programs for greatest impact.

Presented by Barbara McMillan, CFC’s Director of Regional Strategies, national consultant on Youth in Philanthropy, and British Columbia Regional Coordinator. She has more than 25 years of experience in the grantmaking and social development fields. More ›


Audience:

  • Board Members and volunteers of smaller, volunteer-run community foundations
  • New Staff and Board Members of mid-size community foundations
  • New and emerging community foundations

2. Telling Your Organizational Story: The Cornerstone of a Successful Fund Development Program

Norma CameronBuilding and growing your funds is a key community foundation role and critical to creating strong, vital communities. To be successful you need to position your community foundation as performing a unique and irreplaceable role in realizing this goal. So why not tap into the most powerful communication tools available to help you accomplish this?

Attend this workshop and you will be taken through a step-by-step process to deepen your understanding of the power of story, and develop a strategy to determine, gather and share the most effective and powerful organizational stories you can use throughout the fundraising cycle. This is a hands-on workshop and participants will leave with concrete skills and knowledge for immediate application.

Presented by seasoned storyteller Norma Cameron, CFRE, owner of The Narrative Company, an expert in communications, fund-raising, organizational development and consulting, particularly as it relates to the non-profit realm. More ›


Audience:

  • Board Members and volunteers of smaller, volunteer-run community foundations
  • New Staff and Board Members of mid-size community foundations
  • New and emerging community foundations

3. Human Resource Practices

Amanda HudsonAs community foundations continue to grow, implementing good human resource practices becomes an important piece in running a successful organization. This workshop will explore the basics of good human resources including: position descriptions, compensation and benefits, performance appraisals, succession planning, diversity in the work place, opportunities for learning, training and development, and the Board's role and responsibilities in hiring, overseeing and evaluating the Executive Director. The HR Council for the Non-Profit Sector's website will be used as a resource.

Presented by Amanda Hudson, Certified Human Resources Professional, teacher, and advisor to the HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector. More ›


Audience:

  • Staff and Board Members of mid-size community foundations

4. Mission-related Investing for Canadian Foundations 
  (please note this workshop is from 2:00-5:30pm)

Interest in mission investing is soaring as foundations see the impact others are having and realize that mission investing can deliver strong financial as well as social and environmental returns. Adding to the momentum, The Canadian Task Force on Social Finance is recommending foundations ramp up their mission investing.

This workshop will explore the potential for mission investing as part of a balanced investment portfolio, show how foundations can implement and manage mission investing, look at appropriate investment policies, and highlight mission investing vehicles in Canada. It will feature representatives from foundations active in mission investing and other experts from this rapidly evolving field. Participants will receive a comprehensive set of tools and resources for their own use.

This workshop is presented in collaboration with Philanthropic Foundations of Canada and the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers' Network.

This workshop is presented in collaboration with Philanthropic Foundations of Canada and the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers' Network. It brings together leaders in the field from across Canada and the U.S. including Raúl Pomares, Managing Director, Springcreek Advisors LLC; Bill Young, Bealight Foundation/Social Capital Partners; Terry Cooke, Hamilton Community Foundation; Brian Toller, Community Foundation of Ottawa; Derek Gent, Vancity Community Foundation; Martin Garber-Conrad, Edmonton Community Foundation; Julia Langer, Toronto Atmospheric Fund; Joel Solomon, Tides Foundation; Betsy Martin, Community Foundations of Canada


Audience:

  • Board Members and investment committee members of large and mid-size foundations
  • Finance and program staff of large and mid-size foundations
  • Interested Board members and staff of any size foundation

Sessions and schedule are subject to change


Wednesday, May 11 (5 pm – 6 pm)

Conference Orientation

A 'must-attend' for first time CFC conference goers. The Conference Orientation takes place late Wednesday, afternoon. Come and learn everything there is to know about navigating our conference.